Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle drive unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle drive unit that aids in providing a drive force through the use of a motor in addition to manual drive force for assisting riding a bicycle.
Background Information
Electrically assisted bicycles are becoming more widely used that have an electric motor for providing a drive force to assist a rider's pedaling in driving the bicycle. A conventional electrically assisted bicycle typically has a bicycle drive unit that has a casing. The casing of the bicycle drive unit is either molded from synthetic resin (see, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-180565) or a metallic material. The bicycle drive unit typically has a drive mechanism, such as an electric motor, that is housed inside of the casing.